The Eaglemoss Printer

[Frances Couldwell]

Hi,

I've just subscribed to this and the first issues have arrived. I am not happy.

Firstly, the package got badly mangled in the post. They say 4 issues a month, but only 3 were included. The linear bearing from issue 3 was missing, the binder was broken and not one of the freebies was in the parcel.
Whilst it is not their fault the package got torn, better packing would have helped a lot.

The design software they use is Sketch Up, but it is a 30 day trial version. What happens at the end of the 30 days is not made clear. It is also a download, rather than on CD.
I have mailed them with the above points, but they do not seem to be very quick with their replies.

Regarding the parts put together so far, I am not happy with the rods for the Y-axis linear bearing. This is a cheap, soft steel and rubbing a thumbnail along it, it has a very rough surface. The bearing itself was missing from the parcel, but I am assuming it is the type that has a plastic cage with several rows of small hardened steel balls. I know from previous engineering experience that these balls will eventually wear tracks in the shaft. The effect on the finished print when this starts to happen I leave to your imagination, not to mention the possibility of jam-ups and cooking of the stepper motor drivers. These shafts should have a good surface finish and be tougher - I will be changing mine for silver steel rod, which is mirror polished, hard and accurately ground to size. Stainless would be even better, but I happen to have some silver steel of the right diameter already in the workshop.

As to value for money, you get what you pay for. The ready built printer is certainly not cheap considering its specification, but how long will some of the very cheap ones on the market last?


Frances Couldwell

[truly_bent]

Thanks for the heads-up Frances. I had to look up Eaglemoss, not ever having heard about them before. There have been a couple of threads on this board about these "pay as you go" plans. None of the old timers endorse them, and i wouldn't subscribe either. Your post has just confirmed that.

Perhaps you want to re-title this thread to "Eaglemoss Printer Sucks", or some such, and point Eaglemoss to it. Perhaps if they know how much bad publicity they're going to receive they'll respond in your favour.

[Frances Couldwell]

Thanks for the heads-up Frances. I had to look up Eaglemoss, not ever having heard about them before. There have been a couple of threads on this board about these "pay as you go" plans. None of the old timers endorse them, and i wouldn't subscribe either. Your post has just confirmed that.

Perhaps you want to re-title this thread to "Eaglemoss Printer Sucks", or some such, and point Eaglemoss to it. Perhaps if they know how much bad publicity they're going to receive they'll respond in your favour.

Hi t_b,

Its really too early to tell if this printer sucks. Apart from the rods the few bits I have received look reasonable quality and fairly substantial and they quote the finished weight as being sufficient for it to be reasonably solid. I have no doubt that with sensible mods it will make a printer that is better than some of the dirt cheap offerings I've seen on Fleabay.
I must admit that I know little about 3D printing, but having been a semi professional model maker for almost half a century I know quite a lot about both model engineering and electronics.
However Eaglemoss need to learn that slow replies to emails, lousy packing, bits missing, hiding away what freebies you get with what type of subscription etc is not the way to encourage people to continue the build. I got very close to telling them to stuff it, but I will keep it going for the next few issues to see what happens.
I know that if I complete it the technology will have advanced a lot and the price will have fallen dramatically.

Frances Couldwell

[Frances Couldwell]

Just an update. Eaglemoss do not seem to want to answer their phone or reply to e-mails so I have reluctantly put a comment on Facebook.

To anybody who was thinking about this printer, I'm afraid I have to advise against doing business with Eaglemoss. After doing a bit of digging it would appear I am not the only dissatisfied customer they have.

F.C.

[curious aardvark]

Ah it's a rebranded american version of the vector 3.

Cut your losses and just buy a kit or ready to print machine.

What's the point of paying twice as much for an unproven machine that you won't be able to use for 2 years !

And sketchup is one of the worst bits of software for 3d printing design as it doesn't deal easily with solids.
Plus it's free, so why they'd give you the non-free version is a bit puzzling.

Basically they don't expect anyone to go the whole 2 years, so the odds are it just plain won't work.

It' s a legal con.

here's the actual site: http://3dprinter-collection.com/aboutyour3dprinter.aspx

[Frances Couldwell]

Hi,
You are quite right of course. The reason I wanted it was not because I want a printer (I do) but because it looked a very interesting project with something useful at the end of it. Its the build as much as the finished product that is interesting.

It would appear that there have been some quiet changes done to the web site - the advertising seems to be a bit more legal now.

I am going to cancel because I have heard so much about Eaglemoss and none of it is good. However I will continue to give what support I can to the "anti Eaglemoss" groups on Facebook.

It is interesting to Google "Eaglemoss Complaints" and follow through some of the threads there.

F.C.

[bibbyg]

I have been lucky so far then as all my issues have arrived as expected, a subscriber gift failed to arrive and I emailed them and got a reply within a day explaining it was out of stock and will come later. looking at the spec of the printer it is a basic model which I don't mind I just want the hobby of reading about and assembling it.

[john3322]

Hello,
I can't comment technically. But my experience of eagle moss is they will do it on the cheap and cut corners more than DeAg will. Also really important to consider on-going support after you have it. we already have a commitment today that DeAg will support parts after the Partwork completes.

Thanks